This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present invention, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
The subject matter disclosed herein relates to natural gas processing, and, more particularly, to systems and methods for using an isobaric pressure exchanger (IPX) during natural gas processing using water-based amine solutions.
Natural gas is a naturally occurring hydrocarbon gas mixture that may be combusted to provide energy or used as a chemical feedstock in the manufacture of plastics and other organic chemicals. Virgin natural gas (e.g., untreated natural gas), as it emerges from natural geologic reservoirs, contains varying amounts of sour gases, particularly carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide, also referred to as acid gases. Carbon dioxide reduces the calorific value of the natural gas and hydrogen sulfide may transform into sulfur dioxide, sulfur trioxide, and/or sulfuric acid. An amine gas treating process has been developed to remove these sour gas components from virgin natural gas, thus converting the virgin natural gas into sweet gas (e.g., treated natural gas) that is suitable for combustion in domestic and industrial applications. Unfortunately, large amounts of energy may be expended in pressurizing the amine solutions used in the amine gas treating process, which is then lost (e.g., not recovered) when the sour gases are stripped from the amine solutions.